Three sisters wash up on the beach. Drowned.
But no foul play.
Five black women found by bodies of water. Dead.
But no foul play.
Ninety-five percent of black people have nothing to do with swimming.
But no foul play. Just conditioning and lies.
All bodies of water carry terror. Provoke fear from time.
So we are lead to believe as we are lead away from our sources of freedom.
From our bodily memories of being water folk. From time.
harbouring suspicions
‘modern-day lynchings’
sow terror in black communities
impossible to know what really happened
but local authorities are covering up
often good reason to think
otherwise
Source: John McWhorter, The New York Times, ‘Are Lynchings Really Happening?’, 24 Sept 2026
under the orange moon
they gathered, white hooded
orange flames licked the cross
they say he killed himself
the moment he looked at her
out of interest or just a momentary glance
no matter, he killed himself
the rope cut into his neck
the flames kicked his toes
and so the adventure begins …
I don’t know about you but I love me a good book cover.
You must have chosen to read a book because of the cover, right?
That’s what I’ve just done.
I recognised the artist as Laylie Frazier. I knew her work from reading Christena Cleveland’s work The Black Madonna.
Researching up more of Laylie Frazer’s work, I found this book over for We Deserve Monuments.
A mixed race teenager with freckles and a lip piercing, defiantly holding the viewers gaze. Yes.
I had to start reading this book. Then to find out it’s a young adult book, and the main character from the cover is Avery and is gay. Yes. Then read on.
In my Summer Field Guide, which I have to fill you in on as there’s been developments, this week was earmarked for a YA read to fit in with how I’m summering like it’s 1985.
Everything is aligning. And the book does not disappoint.
Avery is uprooted from DC to her mum’s childhood home in rural Bardell, Georgia, because Mama Letty ( Avery’s grandma) is dying. The family hasn’t been back for years because of some family rift and secret, which no one will talk about. Avery makes new friends and starts to settle into her new life, even though there’s talk of one of her friend’s mum being murdered by her rich dad who’s linked to the past of slavery, slaves and plantations.
And still no one wants to talk about the past but everything is linked to the present and what happens moving forward.
Right, after sharing this with you, I continue to read now.
The aim is to create a field guide for summer which prioritises play, curiosity and wonder. Dreaming and imagination.
I want to be intentional around who I want to {BE}/ want to do over the next few summery months.
Become consistent in relation to turning up for myself in play and wonder.
Now is the time to prioritise my joy. No responsibilities but feed my inner child.
Traditionally, a field guide is something created to provide information for a reader to identify birds, flowers or trees. Or other aspects of the natural environment.
With this energy in mind, I want to create a summer field guide that identifies areas of play and curiosity that I can explore.
This field guide is an invitation to lean into what lights me up, steeping myself in the mystery and magic of it all.
